Ah, Halloween!

I decided last minute to join my friends for Halloween. I was driving home from work and just decided that would be more fun than going home and pretending I wasn't home because I had no candy to give out. I know, I'm bad, but it was a busy week!

As is the tradition, we all met at someones house for pizza and beverages, took a group pic of the kids, and then set out. The men stayed behind to give out candy - that means sit in a central driveway with their drinkies and hand out candies for three houses. It worked out wonderfully!

The ladies started out following the children, then a few of us got separated from the children (an adult was with them at all times, just not me!). We walked the neighborhood, visited, had some drinkies, it was a fun time. (I would like to note that I have not indulged in drinkies in a long time, and my indulgence was quite minimal.)

Ever heard of a Beer-rita? Mmmmm, if I hadn't had to to work today, I would have had more than a few sips! It's a beer margarita. I repeat, mmmmmm. One of my friends made sure to bring the pitcher on our walk so we did not run low. I love my friends :-) Exercise AND drinkies, what else do you need?

It was a fun night, and all the kids had a great time too. Lots of great costumes, lots of fun, I just love Halloween in my friend's neighborhood!

I was a good girl and came home very early as I did have to work today. Sure glad I did, as we were running all day at work, and I'm beat now!

New this week on my Etsy Site: Beginner knitting pattern for a cute hat, monogramed Bridal party handkerchiefs for brides and gramas.

This weekend I plan to take some better pics of the hankies that I've added to my Etsy site, and work on some other things. Keep an eye out :-)

Once upon a Halloween...

These days, I try to spend Halloween with my friends. They live in a great neighborhood, and the parents and kids there get together for pizza (and beer) and then head out for group trick-or-treating (with a wagon holding an ice chest of beer). We walk for a few hours, watch the kids do their thing, visit, it's a whole lot of fun. Plus, I don't have to give out candy at my house. So much pressure to do that. Have to have enough candy, don't want to give out too much, don't want to give out too little. I either run out or have too much left, so now I just go to someone elses house. No pressure!

When I was a kid, we lived in the boondocks. Seven miles from one town, three from another. No neighbors, certainly no trick-or-treaters. We would "go into town" for trick or treating. Everyone went to all the same houses, as it was a small town, and we'd compare what we got where. There were always the relatives that gave us special stuff, or the nice old lady who made us candy apples or popcorn balls. I was never allowed to eat one (razor blade scare of the 70's), but it was so great to get the "special" stuff.

One year, I think I was in the sixth grade, my folks got this amazing idea (they always had great, amazing ideas). Dad brought home a pumpkin on steroids, stood a good three feet tall. He painstakingly carved the scary face. He then rigged up a light that was wired into the top, and down into the cigarette lighter of the car. "Jack" sat on top of the car. Testing was fun, we'd shut off all the lights and plug in the cigarette lighter. He lit up big, bright, and very scary, especially in total darkness with no street lights or city lights.

Mom's job was the music. We had (still do somewhere) the original "Haunted House" record. Yes, RECORD, round black thing that needs a needle and speakers... She put my little tape recorder next to the record player and recorded all the scary sounds and music.

Halloween arrived. We kids piled in the car, oddly enough an orange Malibu, same color as the pumpkin. We went into town. We didn't really get much candy that year, because it was more fun to ride in the car, up and down the streets, lights off, sneaking up on unsuspecting trick-or-treaters...

We'd see them. We'd drive up, then WHAM! Lights, music, screaming, running of children down streets, it was fabulous. We scared about every kid in town that year, and a few adults and drunk teenagers. I think my parents had way more fun than we did, dad driving along at a snails pace plugging in the pumpkin, mom hanging out the window with the tape recorder...